Communism Tour

The highlights of life in the communism regime Kind of Tour: Communism /Special Interest Tours Kode of Tour: ETTCO01 Duration: 5 nights /6 days Itinerary: Tirana – Durrës – Vlore – Gjirokastra – Korçë – Pogradec Description of the tour: This tour is dedicated to the communism regime, and it is for those […]

This tour is dedicated to the communism regime, and it is for those who want to know more about isolated life during communism, its symbols, architecture, art and so on.

Program:

Day 1: Tirana

As this tour is focused on the Communism regime, we will focus especially in the sites in Tirana, which still relate to the Communism period. And the tour will take a full day. These sites are the building around the Scanderbeg Square, as the Palace of Culture, Tirana International Hotel, the Monument of Unknown Partisan, The statue of Mother Albania in the cemetery of Martyrs, the pyramid (mausoleum of Hoxha, designed by his daughter), “blloku” area with the governmental buildings, the old house of ex-dictator Enver Hoxha (a part of his house is now turned into an American language school), dictature symbols in the main boulevard, the Palace of Congress built for the congresses organized by the People’s Socialist Party of the Republic of Albania (today is usually used for festival and other events), the Bunk’Art Museum, a former military base, a large secret bunker that Albania’s communist regime built in the 1970s to survive a nuclear bombe, the Museum “House of Leafes” built in 1931, the building originally had a clinical function. During World War II, under German occupation, it belonged to the Gestapo’s, while immediately afterwards, during the first years of the new regime, it became a center of Security (the political police) used for investigations. In 1950, it became the headquarters of scientific and technical section Security. The house located in the city center, on the opposite side of the Orthodox Cathedral, near Skanderbeg Square and the Central Bank of Albania and the National Museum in city center, a pavilion of dictature.

Day 2. Tirana – Durrës – Vlora

After breakfast, we depart to Durrës, where we visit the military base (where we might exercise using weapons), then we will visit the large bunkers along the seaside, and at the end a bunker turned into a bar/restaurant, where we will have lunch in the atmosphere of the communism regime. After lunch we will depart to Vlora. Free time to explore the city and prepare for dinner. Overnight in Vlora.

Day 3: Vlora – Orikum – Porto Palermo – Gjirokastër

After breakfast, we depart to one of the most important military and naval (submarine) base called “Pashaliman” base. After visiting this site, we continue our trip to Porto – Palermo, with a short break in Llogora National Park. After this overlooking the sea we proceed to Dhermi village, well known for its crystal water and splendid beaches. Here are the summer residencies of the governor, used to be for the ex-bureau of the regime. After lunch we will visit the castle of Porto Palermo from where you can see the secret submarine base (which is still partly in use and the history behind this base has a lot of different stories). After visiting the Porto Palermo base, we continue our trip to Gjirokastra, the city where Hoxha was born. Accommodation in hotel. We will visit here the Castle of Gjirokastra the largest in Albania, and the scene where every 4 years the folk festival was held (a tradition that continues to present day). Dinner in a traditional restaurant with isopoliphony songs, an intangible UNESCO World Heritage. Overnight in Gjirokastra.

Day 4: Gjirokastër – Përmeti – Korçë – Pogradec

After breakfast, we will visit the house where Hoxha was born and spent his childhood, and presently it is turned into an Ethnographic museum which can be visited during a trip to Gjirokastra. After that we will depart to visit the planned sites on the road to Pogradec. The first stop is in Përmet, a small town in the south of Albania, where we can see the dictature architecture of the city that has remained as before the ’90s. We will have lunch in a very beautiful place between the road Leskovik –Erseke.

After lunch we will depart to Korça, where the old dictator went to high school. He studied in a French secondary school and here it is where he read for the first time the Communist Manifesto.
We continue our road to Pogradec, where the village of Tushemisht is, on the shores of Ohrid Lake and close to the border with Macedonia. In Tushemisht, there is the park of Drilon, which was the main holiday destination of Hoxha and now it is a popular place to enjoy and relax. On the shore of the lake, there are a lot of bunkers which can be visited. Overnight in Pogradec.

Day 5: Pogradec – Tirana

After breakfast, we will have a walk along the coast lake, and depart for the return to Tirana. We will have lunch in a traditional restaurant in Tirana. Free time for leisure and exploration of the city life in the afternoon and by night.

Day 6 : Tirana – Aeroport

After breakfast, some time to stroll the city, and transfer to the airport. The end of our service.